The present invention pertains to simulated battlefield position location and more particularly to a synchronized multi-lateration position location arrangement for determining the affects of simulated munitions deployment upon a target.
Position location detectors are used to determine the location of individuals or vehicles with respect to simulated munitions in order to determine whether injury or damage was inflicted upon the individuals or vehicles. The battlefield for war games is established. Relays are located around and throughout this battlefield area. These relays transmit signals which cover the area of the battlefield. Players, which may be vehicles or dismounted troops, are equipped with location detectors which may be active or passive. Active location detectors interact with the relays to both receive messages from the relays and transmit messages to the relays. Both active and passive location detectors receive transmissions from the relays and determine their position relative to a predetermined impact point of the munition. Passive location detectors include receivers only. These detectors are carried by individuals or vehicles. Each detector determines its own position and the lethality of the fired munition round on each individual or vehicle. Damaged or destroyed individuals are disabled from further participation in the war game.
Passive location detectors are more cost efficient since no transmitter is required. The passive location detectors determine their own position. The present passive location arrangements limit the number of relays which are employed to transmit position information to potential targets and also transmit the location and the firing information in a single burst. Due to interference from mountainous terrain, foliage, and weather conditions, information transmitted from the relays to the passive location detector is often not received or received in an incomplete form. Further, since the solution to position locations in a multi-lateration process are hyperbolic, two or more locations may fit the solution where there are limited relay transmissions of position information.
It is desirable to provide a passive location arrangement wherein the location detectors may accurately detect their position and munition firing information in a non-interfering mode.